JP3346635B2 - OCR form form creation method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technical field of an information processing system using an optical character recognition technology (OCR), and more particularly, to a form including a form created by an end user himself in the system. (Paper)
The user fills in the necessary character information etc. using
The present invention relates to an information processing system that reads and processes character information and the like written in this form by using the system.
Related to a method for creating a business form.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a form for inputting an OCR, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated form in which information not to be read such as ruled lines is printed in a predetermined dropout color.
In order to create an input form for R, it was necessary to request printing from a specialized printer. Further, in order to perform the recognition processing by the OCR, the dimensions and the like of the completed form are measured and various format parameters [for example, the frame structure of the form and its coordinates and dimensions, character types (alphanumeric, katakana, etc.) ),word count,
And the type of entry data (place name, person name, etc.)] must be created and input.

In recent years, in order to remove restrictions on the use of the OCR, an OCR capable of reading a form in a frame format printed in black has been developed. Form printing is no longer required, and forms created and printed individually by end users using personal computers can be used as OCR input forms. However, as for the format parameters, the dimensions and the like of the completed form have to be manually measured and created and input based on the results, as in the past, which is troublesome.

The inventors of the present application have previously proposed a new information processing method for an OCR system in order to eliminate the above-mentioned trouble, and the contents thereof are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-14278.
Issued as issue. The technology disclosed therein not only enables end users to use forms created and printed using personal computers and the like as input forms for OCR, but at the same time,
The form parameters of the created form are stored, and various OCR format parameters are automatically converted / created based on the form parameter.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, the OCR
Creating an input form for a business does not mean that a user can create an arbitrary form as desired.
There are various different restrictions for each model of R, and there are various different restrictions for each type of printer used for print output. Considering such restrictions and other various conditions, it is quite difficult for an end user to create a form using a personal computer terminal. However, the above-mentioned patent publication does not show any solution in terms of how to simplify the operation of creating an OCR input form and make the system easy to use. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of creating an OCR form that simplifies the operation of creating an OCR input form and makes the system easy to use.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems OCR according to the present invention
According to one aspect, a form for creating a business form is a form.
Paper size, target OCR model, target printer model
The first to provide a reference sheet file consisting of basic information of a form including information such as a seed and a basic size of an input character frame .
And a second step of inputting information for defining a desired form detailed form based on the reference sheet file and creating a specific form file.

According to another aspect, an OCR form form creation method according to the present invention provides a method for creating a form size,
Basics of OCR model, target printer model, input character frame
A first step of providing a plurality of types of reference sheet files including basic information of a form including information such as a target size, and a second step of selecting one reference sheet file from the plurality of types of reference sheet files. And a third step of inputting information for defining a desired form detail form based on the selected reference sheet file and creating a specific form file.

According to OCR for continuous form creating method according to the present invention, by entering the basic information about the desired form, but it may also have further comprising the step of creating a desired reference sheet file.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the form paper size and object
Basics of OCR model, target printer model, input character frame
A reference sheet file consisting of basic information of the form including information such as the target size is automatically provided to the user, and based on this reference sheet file,
Since a specific form file can be created by inputting information defining a desired form detail form, the form creation operation can be greatly simplified. Therefore, the operation of creating the OCR input form is simplified, and a very easy-to-use system can be provided.

[0010] Also, a plurality of types of reference sheet files are provided, and a desired one of the reference sheet files is selected from among the plurality of reference sheet files, and a desired form detail form is created based on the selected reference sheet file. By creating a specific form file by inputting the information to be defined, the form creation operation can be further simplified. Furthermore, since a desired reference sheet file can be freely created, an easy-to-use system that meets the needs of the user can be provided.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [System Configuration Example] FIG. 1 shows an overall hardware configuration example of an information processing system for implementing a method according to the present invention. This system mainly includes a processing device 10 including a personal computer and the like. To this, a display 11, a keyboard 12, a magnetic disk (storage device) 13, a printer 14, an OCR module 15, and the like are connected. A pointing device such as a mouse may be provided in connection with the keyboard 12. Further, the processing device 10 may be connected to a communication line so that information can be exchanged with an external device.

The processing executed by this system can be roughly classified into a function of creating a form of a form 20 to be used as input paper for OCR and printing and outputting the form on a printer 14 (form creation function), and a function of printing and outputting according to the created form. The OCR module 15 reads character information written by handwriting or the like on the completed form 20 (OCR reading function). The present invention particularly relates to the former form creation function. Hereinafter, the form creation function will be described.

In this system, an optical copier 16 is provided off-line, and a printer 14 is provided.
Can be used by enlarging or reducing it at a desired copy magnification as needed, and correct such form parameters or format parameters when such enlargement / reduction is performed. You can do it.

[Example of Form] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an OCR input form 20 for explaining various parameters for defining the form. "Form outline" defines the outline of the form. "Edge mark"
Are marks respectively written at the four corners of the form to define the four corners, and are used by the OCR to recognize the four corners of the form. The “edge mark enclosure” is a frame segment element for defining an area where the “edge mark” is described. “Comment character” is a character that constitutes a comment written in advance for the user,
Elements that are excluded from reading. "Comment rules"
Is a frame line segment element used when the above “comment character” is surrounded by a frame line, and the inside surrounded by the “comment rule line” is excluded from OCR reading.

The "input character field area outline" is a frame line element that defines an outer frame of one group of an area in which a user writes a character (this is called an "input character field"). The inside surrounded by the “outline of the input character field area” is the object of OCR reading. The “input character field area outline” is represented by a line segment thicker than the “comment ruled line”, for example, so that the OCR can distinguish between them. The “input character frame” is a frame line segment element that defines an input frame for one character inside the “input character field area outline”. This "input character frame"
The minimum unit surrounded by is called a "cell". That is, one “cell” defines an area (character frame) in which one character is written.

[Explanation of Form Creation Processing]
It is executed by a form creation software program mounted on the processing device 10. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a flow of a main procedure as an embodiment of a form creation process. The following is a description based on this. (1) Input of basic information First, a user specifies and inputs basic information on an individual form to be created. The basic information includes, for example, a target OCR model name, a target printer model name, a form size (A
4, B4, special, etc.), the size of the input character frame (cell) read by the OCR, and the like.

As a method of specifying the size of the input character frame,
There are a method of directly specifying the desired size, and a method of indirect specification by specifying the number of lines and the number of character frames in one line. The input information of the target OCR model name is advantageously used in order to smoothly proceed with the form creation work by automatically taking into account the constraints specific to the target OCR. That is, even if the user does not know the detailed constraints specific to the target OCR, only by inputting the target OCR model name, the appropriate control is automatically performed so that a form satisfying the constraints can be automatically created. Is made.

The OCR constraint condition items include, for example, the presence or absence of an edge mark, the presence or absence of a specific mark, the limitation of the form size that can be entered, the limitation of the character frame size, the limitation of the character entry area (input area), and various types of clearing. Restrictions on areas (white areas; that is, areas that must remain white),
There are restrictions on field attributes (character type and number of digits). Of course, the constraint condition parameters for each type of OCR model are stored, and the constraint condition parameters are referred to according to the designated OCR model, and an error check such as whether the condition is satisfied is automatically performed. It is used so that the form creation work can be performed smoothly and easily. In addition, printers have constraints such as printable paper size and printable range. Therefore, necessary constraint parameters for each type of printer are stored, and these printers are specified based on the target printer model name. An error check such as whether or not the condition is satisfied is automatically performed with reference to the constraint condition parameters, so that the form creation operation can be performed smoothly and easily.

(2) Generation of Guidance Mesh Based on the input basic information, calculation for determining the matrix arrangement (size) of the input character frame is performed, and this matrix line is generated and displayed on the display 11 as a guidance mesh. One cell of the guidance mesh is one cell. FIG.
Shows a display example of the guidance mesh, and a matrix line represented by a dotted line is the guidance mesh. In addition,
In FIG. 4, the same form example as that of FIG. 2 is shown to be overlapped. However, at the stage when the form is not created, only the guidance mesh is displayed on the display 11, and the display of the form does not appear yet. Of course. The form is gradually displayed according to the user's input operation of the detailed definition information of the form described below, and a form in a desired form is created. Further, in the example of FIG. 4, the guidance mesh is equally spaced for each row and each column. However, as will be described later, a specification that can change the interval is also possible.

(3) Input of information for defining a form in detail The user refers to the guidance mesh displayed on the display 11 and performs an operation of inputting various information for defining a desired form in detail by using a keyboard. 12, etc. As the detailed definition information, information of line segment elements such as “form outline”, “edge mark enclosure”, “comment ruled line”, “input character field area outline”, and “input character frame” described with reference to FIG. These are arranged in a desired arrangement along the guidance mesh. Note that the “edge mark” is arranged in an area surrounded by “edge mark enclosure”. Further, the detailed definition information includes descriptive information such as "comment character" and "input character field attribute information". Characters and the like corresponding to these are arranged in the corresponding mesh (cell) or in the field.

Since the guidance mesh is displayed on the display 11, the user can easily perform an input operation to create and define a desired form. The form information created based on the inputs in (1) and (3) above (that is, the form information based on the basic information and the detailed definition information) is given an appropriate form file name and stored in an appropriate memory. Needless to say, it is stored. Here, new technical items that can be implemented in the input processing stages (1) and (3) are listed and described in the following (a) to (g).

(A) Method of Determining Input Character Size In the processing step (1), the input character frame size specified directly or indirectly, the specified form size, and the reading determined by the specified target OCR model The personal computer (processing device) combines the restriction of the available area and the allowable input character size with an output coordinate control characteristic parameter (for example, a print enlargement or reduction ratio parameter in the row and / or column direction) determined by the designated target printer model. In 10), the input character size handled, the display input character size, and the print input character size are determined. That is, the print input coordinate data size and the print output coordinate data size are 1 depending on the printer model.
Since there is one that does not correspond one-to-one, it is possible to create a form in which error characteristics at the time of printing out a completed form are automatically corrected in advance.

(B) Automatic correction of input values of form outline, edge mark box, and edge mark In the processing step (3), any one of the form outline, edge mark box, and edge mark input by the user is arranged. However, there are cases where the arrangement of the guidance mesh does not exactly match and / or does not fit. In order to deal with such a case, the correction value is calculated based on the specified form size, form type, input character frame size, parameters of the target OCR model, etc. It is preferable to provide a function to correct the data so as to make it fit.

(C) Designation method of input character field The method of designating the arrangement of a desired input character field in the processing step (3) basically designates a desired cell group in accordance with the guidance mesh. This is performed by a combination of an operation and an operation of designating the designated cell group as an input character field. In response to the designation, the display of the “input character field area outline” that defines the outline of the designated input character field and the frame line display of each input character frame inside the input character field are automatically performed. Further, an error check function for automatically judging whether the designated input character field is within the reading area of the target OCR and notifying the user may be provided.

As an example of a method for designating a desired cell group, an input character field for one line consisting of a desired number m of cells is designated as a "line direction input character field" by a cursor or the like, and the "line direction input character field" is designated. By pointing the input character field "with a cursor or the like for the desired number n of lines,
There is a method of indicating a cell group consisting of nxm cells. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG. As another example of the method of indicating a desired cell group, the reverse of the above,
An input character field for one column consisting of a desired cell number n is designated by a cursor or the like as a "column direction input character field", and this "column direction input character field" is designated by a cursor or the like by a desired number m of columns. Gives n
There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of × m cells.

As another example of a method of designating a desired cell group, one cell at the head of the desired cell group is designated by a cursor or the like, and the desired number m of cells in an input character field for one line is determined. There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of n × m cells by designating the number n of rows by numerical input. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG. As yet another example of a method of designating a desired cell group, the first cell of the desired cell group is designated by a cursor or the like, and the desired one of the input character fields for one column is input. There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of n × m cells by designating the number n of cells and the number m of columns by numerical input. As still another example of a method of designating a desired cell group, there is a method of using a ruled line input mode to specify a desired input character field by surrounding the outer shape of the input character field with a ruled line. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG.

(D) Method of specifying the line type of the input character field area outline The special line type (for example, a thick line) is specified and defined as the outline defining the area of the input character field specified as described above. Can be. The line type of the “input character field area outline” may be selected by the user from a plurality of types, or may be determined according to the target OCR model. . In connection with this, in the case of "comment ruled lines" or character frame ruled lines not on the field boundary, block or error check should be performed so that the line type for the "input character field area outline" cannot be used. Good. Also, a rule that only the outermost boundary of the input character field group to be connected is the special line type, or that the outermost boundary and the column direction field boundary of the input character field group to be connected is the special line type May be registered, and the special line type may be automatically used according to the selected rule. When the target printer is a color printer, the special line type may be displayed in color.

(E) Input character field attribute information designation or correction method For each input character field whose layout is defined as described above, the character type (alphanumeric, katakana, etc.) to be entered in the field ) And attributes such as data types (place names, person names, etc.). Such assignment of the input character field attribute is necessary for narrowing down the OCR recognition target characters and increasing the recognition accuracy. As a method of specifying the input character field attribute information for that purpose, there is a method of specifying the attribute at the same time as specifying / creating each input character field as described above. As another example, once you specify / create an input character field,
There is a method of selecting a desired input character field and designating or modifying the attribute of the field.

(F) Input method of comment character and comment ruled line When inputting a comment character, the first cell at the desired comment character input position is selected and designated by a cursor or the like, and a desired comment character string is key-input therefrom. . The designation of the comment ruled line can be performed by designating a desired cell group and designating that a desired cell group is surrounded by the comment ruled line by a method similar to the designation of the input character field described above. However, the line type of the comment rule line is different from the line type of the input character field boundary line. Note that where the comment ruled line and the input character field boundary line overlap,
Give priority to the line type of the input character field border. Note that an error check function that automatically determines whether the specified input comment character or comment ruled line arrangement area is within the printable area of the target printer and notifies the user, and the designated input comment character or comment ruled line arrangement area are not included. An error check function or the like for automatically determining whether or not the target OCR is in the clear area and notifying the user can be provided.

(G) Separated character frame generation method A separated character frame is a character frame provided for one cell, in which only one character is entered. One separated character frame is set and written inside the cell boundary so that the separated character frames of adjacent cells do not overlap. Therefore, in the case of a guidance mesh including an equally spaced matrix as shown in FIG. 4, it is not possible to draw a separated character frame in accordance with the mesh line. So, as a solution,
By preparing one separated character frame as a font for one character and generating and displaying the separated character frame font at a desired cell position designated by a cursor or the like,
A separate character box may be generated. It is preferable to prepare a plurality of separated character frame fonts in accordance with a plurality of guidance mesh sizes.

Here, returning to FIG. 3, a further procedure of the form creation processing will be described. (4) Creation of OCR Format Information The form information created by the processes (1) to (3) is stored in the memory with an appropriate file name for specifying the form as described above. The form information created in this way is read from the memory and automatically converted into OCR format information, and an OCR format information file relating to the specific form is automatically created and stored in the memory (for example, the magnetic disk 13). To memorize. OC
In the R module 15, when performing the reading recognition processing of the character information described in the entered form 20, the form 2
The OCR format information file corresponding to “0” is extracted from the memory, and recognition processing is performed with reference to the OCR format information file.

(5) Printing of a form (original form) A form of a specific form that has been created and is stored in a memory with an appropriate file name created by the processing of (1) to (3). The information is read from the memory and printed out by the printer 14. Thus, the original form of the created form is obtained. Of course, at the time of printing, information that does not need to be printed on the actual form paper, such as attribute information, is excluded and printed.

(6) Processing related to additional functions such as creation assistance, checking, and modification During the above-mentioned processing (3), as an aid for defining details of various form information or for checking
Alternatively, it is proposed to perform processing related to some additional functions as described below in order to correct or check the created form information.

(6-) Field attribute print notation method Assigned to each input character field as an aid in defining the details of various form information, for checking, or for correction. It is necessary to be able to print out a form in which information indicating the set attribute is described. By the way, the size of one field may be at least one character, and it is difficult to directly describe the attribute information in the space for one character. Therefore, a method is proposed here in which attribute information is abbreviated into a space for one character and printed. One of them is a method of displaying the description of the attribute information in a short form, and an example thereof is shown in FIG. For example, “K1” indicates one character of katakana (the first K is its abbreviation), and the last 1 is its abbreviation. “E1” indicates one character (the last 1 is the abbreviated form) of the alphabet character (E at the beginning is the abbreviated form). “G1” indicates one character of katakana or alphabetic characters (the first letter G is an abbreviated form), and the last 1 is the abbreviated form. Since alphanumeric characters can be printed in one-byte characters, two-letter abbreviations can be printed in one character space.
Alternatively, such a short form may be prepared as a dedicated font.

FIG. 6B shows another example in which attributes are abbreviated and displayed by displaying a predetermined shortened pattern. The table on the right is a correspondence table between the display of shortened patterns and the attributes. If such a correspondence table is printed and printed in an appropriate space, its meaning can be easily understood, so that it is convenient. The shortened pattern display may be prepared as a dedicated font. It is needless to say that not all attribute displays are printed with abbreviations, but a field having a large number of characters may be printed with a more understandable description.

(6-) Guide and Error Check of Inputtable Area Based on Basic Information As described above, the area where the input character frame can be arranged, the comment, and the like are determined according to the target OCR model name, target printer model name, form size, etc. Since the area where characters can be placed is limited,
An input character frame allocable area and a comment character allocable area are calculated based on the input basic information, and various guides and error check functions as described in (a) to (d) below are executed based on the calculated areas. . (A) In order to assist the work of designating and inputting detailed definition information of a form, it is preferable to provide an operation mode for guiding the input character frame allocable area and the comment character allocable area on the form. This guide display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on paper together with a guide mesh, a form outline, and the like. (B) As described above, during the operation of specifying and inputting the detailed definition information of the form, it is automatically checked whether the specified input character field area is an input character frame allocable area, If not, a predetermined error notification is made. Similarly, it is automatically checked whether or not the designated and input comment character area is a comment character allocable area, and if not, a predetermined error notification is made. (C) An error check similar to the above (b) is performed when an error check command is given by the user. (D) The same error check as the above (b) is automatically performed when the form creation is completed, when the OCR format information file is created, or when the completed form is printed.

(6) Monitor display function of input character field Print function To assist the report creation work, monitor the input character field, or monitor the connected area of the field with the same attribute. Therefore, the following (a)-
A function as shown in (e) is provided. (A) A predetermined line type (line type or color not used in the input character field area outline or comment ruled line) so that the outline of the input character field or the connected area (a plurality of fields) of fields having the same attribute can be distinguished from the others. ) To display on the monitor. This monitor display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on a sheet together with a display of a form that is being created or that has been created. (B) The monitor is displayed in a predetermined shaded display or color so that the outer shape of the input character field or the connected area (a plurality of fields) of the fields having the same attribute can be distinguished from the others. This monitor display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on a sheet together with a display of a form that is being created or that has been created. (C) The above (a) and (b) may be used in combination.

(D) In order to clearly indicate the input character frame, a part of the frame of each input character frame that is not the outline of the input character field or the outline of the connection region of the input character field is defined as a predetermined part. The display monitor display or the monitor print output may be made in the line type or color of the above. (E) There is a case where the outline of the input character field is not necessary in the form of the finished product (for example, when using such a way that characters are written in print). In such a case, the outline of the input character field is not printed when the form of the finished product is printed out, but the outline of the input character field can be selectively displayed when displayed on a monitor. Alternatively, it may be configured such that a form on which the outline of the input character field is printed can be selected for monitor print output.

(6-) Dimension or coordinate correction method The dimensions or coordinates of the form assumed by the personal computer (processing device 10) and the dimensions or coordinates of the form actually printed are determined by the properties of the printer drive circuit or the nature of the printer. The coordinates may be different. An optical copy machine 16 copies the printed form to an OCR
Even when used as a form, the dimensions or coordinates of the form to be subjected to OCR reading may differ from the assumptions of the personal computer (processing device 10). Leaving such a difference undesirably results in erroneous recognition in the character recognition process due to the difference between the OCR format information stored in the personal computer (processing device 10) and the form actually subjected to OCR reading. Therefore, the following solution is proposed.

(A) Solution Measure the dimensions between specific parts in a test-printed form or a copy of a test-printed form, input the measurement result to the system, and use the personal computer (processing device 10) side. And corrects the coordinate data of the form information input to the printer 14 according to the result of the correction calculation. Then, the form is printed again based on the coordinate data of the corrected print input form information. Then, the form in which the error has been corrected is printed. Therefore, if the error-corrected form is used for the OCR (or the copied form is used), the erroneous recognition can be solved.

(B) Dimension Measurement Technique In implementing the above solution, a technique for actually measuring a dimension between specific parts of a form is proposed below. In this case, it is necessary for the personal computer (processing device 10) to completely recognize which part is actually measured.
For that purpose, a personal computer (processing device 10)
From the side, through the display 11 or the printer 14
A part to be measured is instructed to the user by printout of a completed form or a semi-completed form sample. FIG. 7 shows an example of the measurement site designation.

FIG. 7A shows an example in which a completed form or a semi-completed form sample is printed out by the printer 14. Predetermined marks (+ marks in the figure) are printed at predetermined positions at the four corners. The user actually measures the vertical and horizontal dimensions (dimensions in the x and y coordinate directions) between the + marks of the printed form sample (or a copy thereof), and transmits the measured data to a personal computer (processing device 1).
Enter 0). FIG. 7B shows an example in which the display 11 indicates an actually measured part in a completed form or a semi-completed form. Arrows as shown in the figure as vertical and horizontal (x, y coordinate directions) as guidance display for indicating the actual measurement site
And each is displayed. The user actually measures the dimensions between the designated portions (the interval between the outermost sides of the left, right, upper, and lower edge marks in the example in the figure) in the test-printed form (or a copy thereof), and transfers the measured data to the personal computer ( Input to the processing device 10). As in the above example, it is preferable that the measurement site is performed on both the x and y coordinate axes. In addition, it is preferable to perform the actual measurement between the parts as close to the outer shape of the form as possible in order to reduce the measurement correction error. Of course, in implementing the above solution, the above-described dimension measurement technique is useful, but is not essential, and another method may be used.

(C) Print Coordinate Control Method In implementing the above solution, a method for performing print coordinate control for dimensional correction as accurately as possible is proposed below. That is, depending on the contents of the form creation software on the side of the personal computer (processing device 10), the control resolution of the print coordinates is limited, and some countermeasures are required. In particular, general-purpose form creation software (for example, MS-DOS version or Win
doss version or Mac version spreadsheets; both of these are trademarks or trade names).
Such a limitation in the control resolution of the print coordinates poses a problem.

For example, in the case of an MS-DOS version spreadsheet, print coordinates can be controlled only by a multiple of a certain quantization unit such as 24 dots. Therefore, a plurality of printing fonts or patterns are prepared in order to realize coordinate control of a quantization unit or less, and a font or pattern is selected for printing at an accurate position. FIG. 8 shows some examples of such special fonts or patterns. A rectangular outer frame indicates a boundary of one font, and a horizontal line in the frame indicates a font or a pattern. Needless to say, a similar vertical line font is appropriately prepared. By using these special fonts or patterns and appropriately using the double-width mode or the quadruple-width mode, it is possible to print out outlines, frame lines, ruled lines, etc. having a boundary in the guidance mesh, and to control print coordinates. These line elements can be printed with a finer resolution than possible. In the case of a Windows version or Mac version spreadsheet, the arrangement of the guidance mesh matrix can be controlled at unequal intervals, so that the print coordinate control for dimensional correction may be performed using this function. Of course, in implementing the above solution, the above-described print coordinate control method is useful, but not essential, and may be other methods or may not be adopted.

(6-) Function of creating a large-sized form by enlarging copy Since the printable size is restricted depending on the type of the printer 14 used, when a desired large-sized form cannot be printed out. There is. In such a case, a form of a desired size is created using the enlarged copy function of the optical copy machine 16. As an example of the procedure, first, an OCR format information file is created by defining various types of information in a form creation process by designating the information as a desired large size. Next, before printing the completed form based on the created form information, the print coordinates are reduced using the reciprocal of the enlargement ratio as the reduction ratio, and the form is printed out according to the reduced print coordinates. The form printed in the reduced size is enlarged and copied by the optical copying machine 16 to obtain a form of a desired large size. In this case, when the above-described dimension or coordinate correction method is performed, the above-described enlargement ratio or reduction ratio should be considered in the error correction calculation.

[Specific Example of Form Creation Processing] Next, a specific program example of the form creation processing will be described. FIG. 9 shows FIG.
1 shows a schematic structure of an example of a “form creation processing program” executed by the processing device 10 in the system of FIG.
The “form creation processing program” shown in this embodiment is:
It is roughly divided into a reference sheet definition processing program 31, a form creation processing program 32, and a dimension correction program 33, and is characterized in that the form creation processing is performed using the "reference sheet" function. With respect to functions other than the reference sheet function, the same processing as that already described in the section of “Description of form creation processing” is performed. Therefore, the function of the reference sheet will be described below in detail.

The "reference sheet" is a concept devised by the present inventors for facilitating the form creation process, and is a basic fixed form that forms the basis of the form. The reference sheet is composed of a combination of the above-described basic information such as a form size (A4, B4, special size, etc.), a form direction (vertical, horizontal), a target OCR model, a used printer model, and the like. Consists of information that can be used as a common format for forms.

The form creation process using the “reference sheet” function generally includes the following steps. First, there is a step of defining (creating) and registering one or more types of reference sheets in advance.
1 executes the processing of this step. Second
In addition, prior to the definition (creation) of an individual form, this is a step of selecting a reference sheet to be used for that purpose. A part of the form creation processing program 32 executes this step. Thirdly, based on the selected reference sheet, a step of designating and inputting information for defining an individual form in detail on the basis thereof to complete an individual form having a desired form. 32 executes the process of this step. Processing such as dimensional correction of the form once created is performed by the dimensional correction processing program 3
3 is performed.

FIG. 10 shows a specific example of the processing flow in the reference sheet definition processing program 31. One specific example of the processing flow in the form creation processing program 32 is shown in FIG. FIG. 12 shows a specific example of the flow of the “processing of other operations” performed in the flow of FIG. One specific example of the processing flow in the dimension correction processing program 33 is shown in FIG.

First, the reference sheet definition processing will be described with reference to FIG. In step ST1, a process of displaying a reference sheet definition screen on the display 11 is performed. FIG. 14 shows a display example of the reference sheet definition screen. As shown in the drawing, the components of the reference sheet are (1) the name of the reference sheet, (2) the model name of the target OCR device, (3) the model name of the target printer, (4) the form size, and ( 5) input character frame arrangement, (6) edge mark,
It consists of such information.

In the next step ST2, a desired reference sheet is defined by the user by appropriately designating and inputting information on each of the above-described reference sheet components using the keyboard 12 or the like while viewing the reference sheet definition screen. Perform input operation. In FIG. 14, an underline indicates a cursor, and by positioning the cursor at a desired position, information of the content described therein can be selected / designated. In FIG. 14, "... Name 1" or "name 1" is described for convenience only.
In practice, it is preferable that the actual name be displayed. Also,
In FIG. 14, an area surrounded by [] indicates an area to be selected / designated by a user operation. In addition to selecting / designating prepared information with a cursor, desired character information and numerical values may be input by key.

In step ST3, it is determined whether or not necessary calculation processing is performed according to the definition input operation. If the calculation is to be performed, the process goes to step ST4 to calculate / recalculate the input range, print range, input character frame size, and the like. At the time of this calculation processing, predetermined constraint data corresponding to the specified target OCR model name and target printer model name are automatically referred to. After step ST4, the process returns to step ST1 and rewrites the screen display according to the calculation result. In FIG. 14, a portion surrounded by a square frame corresponds to the above-described step ST according to a user's selection / designation operation.
This is the area where the result calculated in step 4 is automatically displayed.
For example, the input range and the print range are automatically determined by the designated OCR model, printer model, and form size. The input range is a range in which an input character frame can be arranged, and the print range is a range in which a comment character can be printed. In the example of FIG.
By specifying the total number of rows and columns for the input character frame, the vertical and horizontal sizes of one input character frame are automatically calculated in step ST4, and the result is displayed.

If it is not necessary to perform the calculation processing, the flow goes to step ST5, and it is checked whether a key input for instructing the end of the definition has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST1, but if YES, the process proceeds to step ST6. In step ST6, various necessary data such as guidance mesh size and coordinates, edge mark coordinates, edge mark surrounding coordinates, and clear area check parameters are calculated based on the reference sheet information defined as described above. Is performed. Also at the time of this calculation processing, predetermined constraint data corresponding to the specified target OCR model name and target printer model name and the like are automatically referred to.

In step ST7, a set of reference sheet information files for which definition and necessary data have been automatically created as described above are output and stored in a storage device such as the magnetic disk 13. In the reference sheet definition process, the target OCR, the target printer, the input character frame size, and the like can be treated as default values. In that case, the default value may be modified by a person.

Next, the form creation processing will be described with reference to FIG. In step ST10, a process of displaying a reference sheet / form selection screen on the display 11 is performed. FIG. 15 shows a display example of the reference sheet / form selection screen. In the next step ST11, while viewing the reference sheet / form selection screen, the user uses the keyboard 12 or the like to create a reference sheet or a completed (or in the middle of creation; in short, a file has been created) as a basis for a form creation process to be performed. The user performs an operation of selecting a desired form from among the forms described above, and performs an operation of inputting a form name to be created. Either the reference sheet or the file-created form can be selected. In either case, a desired one can be selected from a plurality of reference sheets or a plurality of filed forms. To create a new form file, select a reference sheet. In addition, a new form file can be created by appropriately changing the parameter data of an existing completed form. To create a new form file, enter a new form name. Also, the parameter data can be added / changed as appropriate without changing the file name of the file created form.

In the next step ST12, it is checked whether or not a key input for instructing the end of the selection has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST10, but if YES, the process proceeds to step ST13. In step ST13, it is confirmed whether or not the reference sheet is selected. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST14, and the guidance mesh display parameter, the input range and the print range display parameter are calculated based on the information of the selected reference sheet. I do. Thereby, the guidance mesh and the input range or the print range of the selected reference sheet can be displayed on the display 11. After that, it goes to step ST15. In the case of the file created form, since these display parameter calculations have already been completed, the process goes to step ST15 without performing step ST14.

In step ST15, a process of displaying a form creation screen on the display 11 is performed. FIG. 16 shows a display example of the form creation screen. In the example of FIG. 16, an area other than the input range is hatched to clearly indicate the input range. The display mode is not limited to this, and the display mode can be changed so that the print range is clearly indicated. In the next step ST16, while viewing the form creation screen, the user uses the keyboard 12 or the like to enter various parameter information for defining the form in detail. The type of the form detailed definition information is as described above in relation to the above-described embodiment. Subsequent steps ST17, S
In T18 and ST19, the input contents of the user are determined, and the processing corresponding to each is performed in steps ST20, ST21, ST21.
Perform at 22.

In step ST17, it is determined whether or not an input operation for selecting an arbitrary cell or cell group in the guidance mesh has been performed. If YES, in step ST20, display parameters of the selected cell or cell group are created, and the process returns to the form creation screen display process in step ST15. As a result, a predetermined display for specifying the selected cell or cell group is performed.

In step ST18, it is determined whether or not an input field designating operation (such as an operation to designate an input character field or an operation to designate an attribute of the field) has been performed. If "YES", the process proceeds to step ST21 to perform a process according to the content of the input field designation operation. For example, when an operation of designating an input character field is performed, a process of registering the cell or cell group selected in the previous step as an input character field is performed. When an operation for designating the attribute of the input character field is performed, a process for registering the attribute information designated corresponding to the input character field is performed. At the same time, an error check is performed to determine whether the cell or cell group specified as the input character field satisfies the clear area condition or the input range condition. Further, display parameters such as an input character field outline, field attribute display data, and error display data are created according to the specified contents and the error check result, and thereafter, the process returns to the form creation screen display process of step ST15. As a result, a display such as an outline of an input character field, a field attribute display, an error display, or the like is performed in accordance with the specified content or the error check result.

In step ST19, it is determined whether or not a comment input operation (input of a comment character, input of a comment ruled line, etc.) has been performed. If YES, step S
Go to T22, and perform a process according to the input contents. For example, a process of registering the input comment character or comment ruled line corresponding to the cell or cell group selected in the previous step is performed. At the same time, an error check is performed to determine whether the cell or cell group designated for comment input satisfies the clear area condition and the print range condition. Further, display parameters such as comment character display data, comment ruled line display data, and error display data are created in accordance with the input designation content and the error check result, and thereafter, the process returns to the form creation screen display processing in step ST15. As a result, a display such as a comment character, a comment ruled line, or an error display is made according to the input designation contents and the error check result.

In step ST23, it is checked whether a key input for instructing the end of form creation has been made. If “YES”, the process ends. If “NO”, step ST2
Go to step 4 to check whether any other input operation has been performed. If another input operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step ST25, and processing corresponding to the input operation is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to the form creation screen display processing of step ST15.

FIG. 12 shows a specific example of the "other operations" process executed in step ST25 of FIG. In step ST26, it is determined whether or not a display mode selection operation has been performed. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step ST27, and a display mode selection screen as shown in FIG. Step ST2
8 allows the user to select a desired display mode from among monitor display, form display, and dimension correction display while looking at the display mode selection screen. Step ST
At 29, it is checked whether the end key has been input.
If YES, the process goes to step ST30, changes the display on the display 11 to display in the mode selected by the user, and returns. If NO, the process returns to step ST27 to continue the display mode selection.

The monitor display is a display mode for performing not only display of a form but also display describing the attribute of each field. The form display is a display mode in which only the created form is displayed. The dimension correction display is a mode in which a screen for performing processing corresponding to the above-described dimension or coordinate correction method (this is referred to as dimension correction processing) is displayed on the display 11. One example is as shown in FIG. 7B or FIG. 19, in which a display for designating a part whose dimensions are to be measured is performed.

Returning to FIG. 12, in step ST31, it is determined whether or not a print screen selection operation has been performed.
In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step ST32, and a print screen as shown in FIG. In step ST33, the user can select a desired print mode from form printing, monitor printing, and dimension correction printing while viewing the print screen. Step S
At T34, it is checked whether the end key has been input. If YES, the process goes to step ST35 to perform the printing process in the designated print mode, and then returns. If NO, the process returns to step ST32 and print screen selection is continued.

The form printing is a mode for printing only the created form. The monitor printing is a mode for printing not only the form but also the notation describing the attribute of each field. The dimension correction printing is a mode for printing a form (for example, a form as shown in FIG. 7A or a direct print of a screen as shown in FIG. 19) in which a notation for designating a part to be measured is specified. is there.

In step ST36, it is determined whether or not an operation for instructing creation of an OCR format file has been performed. If YES, step ST
The process goes to 37 to perform a parameter conversion process of converting various parameters of the created form into OCR format information, and create and output an OCR format file including the converted OCR format information and the form name.
The output OCR format file is stored in a storage device such as the magnetic disk 13. When dimensional correction is performed, a format parameter in consideration of the correction value is filed. In step ST38, it is determined whether or not an operation to output a form file has been performed. In the case of YES, the process goes to step ST39 to create and output a form file including various parameters of the created form and the form name. The output form file is stored in a storage device such as the magnetic disk 13.

Next, the size correction processing program will be described with reference to FIG. This dimension correction processing program corresponds to processing in accordance with the above-described dimension or coordinate correction method. First, in step ST40, a process of displaying a form selection screen on the display 11 is performed. On the form selection screen, all form names registered in the storage device such as the magnetic disk 13 are displayed on the display 1.
1 is displayed. In the next step ST41, while looking at the form selection screen, the user uses the keyboard 12 or the like to perform an operation of selecting a form for which dimensional correction is to be performed. In the next step ST42, it is checked whether or not a key input for instructing the end of the selection has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST40, but if YES, step S40
Go to T43.

In step ST43, the form selected for the dimension correction in the previous step is displayed, and the part to be measured is indicated to the user. At this time, the display mode of the display 11 is switched to the dimension correction display mode, and a dimension correction screen as shown in FIG. 19 is displayed. In the next step ST44, the input of the vertical and horizontal dimension data of the form actually measured by the user is accepted. The user actually measures the dimensions between the designated parts in the form printed out in advance by the processing of step ST35 in FIG. 12, and inputs the measured data in accordance with the display of the dimension correction screen.

In step ST45, it is checked whether the input of the actual measurement data has been completed. If YES, the process shifts to step ST46 to perform the dimension correction calculation and the change calculation of the form data as described above. In this embodiment, the data corrected for the error by the dimensional correction calculation (or the data corrected for reduction in the case of the above-described enlarged copy function)
It is assumed that the coordinate data of the form file is changed so that is registered as the form data. Therefore, when printing a form via the step ST35 of FIG. 12 after this dimension correction processing, form coordinate data in which the print error (or enlargement ratio) has been compensated is read from the form file, and the print error is compensated. The completed (or compensated to reduce by the predetermined enlargement rate) form is printed.
However, since the OCR format parameters used as the recognition criteria of the OCR read data need to be the same as the actual dimensions of the form, step S in FIG.
In the format parameter conversion calculation in T37, the form coordinate data of the form file is
Instead of converting to a format parameter, the value corrected by the size correction process is calculated backward and added to obtain an OCR format parameter according to the actual size of the form, and this is registered in the OCR format file.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the guidance meshes are arranged at equal intervals. However, the processing program may be configured so that the arrangement of the guidance meshes at irregular intervals can be controlled. For example, as described above, Wind
For ows or Mac spreadsheets,
Since the arrangement of the guidance mesh matrix can be controlled at irregular intervals, such general-purpose software can be incorporated into the system of the present invention and used. In that case, the following functions can be additionally realized.

(A) Peripheral coordinate control mesh function In order to improve the accuracy of the printing position coordinates such as the form outline and edge marks, the interval of the guidance mesh near the periphery of the form is automatically or manually variably controlled. .
Alternatively, additional mesh lines (matrix lines) may be inserted for this purpose. In other words, it is desirable that the guidance mesh is equally spaced in the area where the input character frame is set, but the input character frame is not normally set near the periphery of the form, so that the mesh interval can be controlled to be irregular.

(B) Mesh Function for Separated Input Character Frames While setting guidance meshes for defining the arrangement of input character frames at equal intervals, a mesh line for defining the arrangement of separated input character frames is added. I do. In this case, there is no need to prepare a dedicated font for the separated input character frame as in the above-described example. Also, such additional mesh lines are used not only for the definition of the separate input character frame,
For example, it can be used for the purpose of setting some space at the boundary of the input character field.

(C) Function in which a plurality of input character frame sizes can be used By setting guidance meshes at unequal intervals in an input character frame setting area, input character frames that do not share a row direction or a column direction can be used. The sizes can be different from each other. By utilizing this property, a plurality of input character frame sizes can be used on one form.

[Other Embodiment] Instead of covering the entire form with the guidance mesh and performing the form creation processing, the form creation processing may be performed by arranging characters and line segments at arbitrary coordinates. For example, such application can be achieved by incorporating general-purpose report generator software into the system. For example, in a general-purpose form generator software, a rectangular frame line can be created by specifying the start point coordinates and end point coordinates on the diagonal line, or if the mesh size is specified, the guidance mesh starting from the specified start point coordinates Is generated partially, and even if the specification of the end point coordinates at that time does not exactly match the guidance mesh intersection point, a function of automatically selecting a nearby mesh intersection point as the end point coordinate and generating a partial guidance mesh Form creation processing according to the present invention can be advantageously performed by utilizing the above-described methods.

[Another Embodiment of Dimension / Coordinate Correction Method] A dimensional / coordinate correction method in consideration of input / output errors of a printer,
Alternatively, in the above-described embodiment, the error correction method for creating a form having an enlarged (or reduced) size using an enlargement (or reduction) copy function is based on the compensation calculation for the OCR format parameter information calculated on the computer side. Not applicable (that is, dimensions based on the created OCR format parameter information and actual
However, the OCR format parameter information may be modified or bypassed so that the compensation calculation is performed on the OCR format parameter information. In such a case, the procedure of the processing shown in the above embodiment may be appropriately changed / replaced.

For example, a first form for actually printing out a form based on form form definition information created by a user is provided.
And a second step of providing a form for OCR having dimensions that are enlarged or reduced vertically or horizontally in dimensions proportional to the form printed out (here, the form printed out is directly used for OCR In this case, the input / output error of the printer is to be corrected, and the printed output form is enlarged or reduced, or copied at a ratio having an appropriate error, so that it can be used as an OCR form. In such a case, the copy magnification or error is to be corrected), a third step of converting the form form definition information into OCR format parameter information, and converting the converted OCR format parameter information into the And a fourth step of performing a correction operation using the enlargement or reduction ratio of the second step as an operation coefficient. Parameter information in which may be used in the OCR reading process.

That is, at the stage of creating the form form definition information, the creation input is performed with dimensions different from the actual OCR form dimensions, and the input control values of the printer are not corrected,
By correcting the data obtained by converting the form definition information into the OCR format parameter information according to the printer output error or the copy magnification, the corrected OCR
Obtain format parameter information for this (this modified O
The dimensions based on the CR format parameter information match the dimensions of the form actually subjected to OCR), and the modified OCR format parameter information is
It may be used in the R reading process. However, such a modification means that at the stage of creating the form form definition information, it is necessary to perform creation input with dimensions different from actual OCR form dimensions.
Since the usability is expected to be somewhat deteriorated, it can be said that this is merely a bypass technique of the dimension / coordinate correction method described first. However, it is specified here that such a bypass technique is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0078]

As described above, according to the present invention, the form
Paper size, target OCR model, target printer model
A reference sheet file including basic information of a form including information such as a type and a basic size of an input character frame is automatically provided to a user, and the user can select a desired form based on the reference sheet file. Since a specific form file can be created by inputting information defining the detail form, the form creation operation can be greatly simplified. Therefore, the operation of creating the OCR input form is simplified, and a very easy-to-use system can be provided.

Also, a plurality of types of reference sheet files are provided, and a desired reference sheet file is selected from the plurality of reference sheet files in the form creation operation, and a desired form detail form is created based on the selected reference sheet file. By creating a specific form file by inputting the information to be defined, the form creation operation can be further simplified. Furthermore, since a desired reference sheet file can be freely created, an easy-to-use system that meets the needs of the user can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall hardware configuration of an information processing system embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an input form for OCR.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing a main procedure of an embodiment of a form creation process according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a guidance mesh displayed on a display.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining some examples of an input character field designation method.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing some examples of a method of describing and describing in short form an attribute assigned to an input character field.

7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a method of designating a part of a form to be measured for dimension correction, in which FIG. 7A illustrates an example in which a form sample is printed out by a printer and a measured part is designated; The example in parentheses) indicates the actual measurement site of the form on the display.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing some examples of special fonts or patterns prepared to realize coordinate control of a quantization unit or less.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a schematic structure of a form creation processing program executed in the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a reference sheet definition processing program in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a form creation processing program in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a specific example of other operation processing executed in the form creation processing program of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a dimension correction processing program in FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a view showing a display example of a reference sheet definition screen displayed on a display in the course of the processing of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15 is a view showing a display example of a reference sheet / form selection screen displayed on the display in the course of the processing of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a view showing a display example of a form creation screen displayed on a display in the course of the processing of FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 is a view showing a display example of a display mode selection screen displayed on the display in the course of the processing of FIG. 12;

FIG. 18 is a view showing a display example of a print screen displayed on a display in the course of the processing in FIG. 12;

FIG. 19 is a view showing a display example of a dimension correction screen displayed on the display in the process of FIG. 13;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Processing device (personal computer) 11 Display 12 Keyboard 13 Magnetic disk (storage device) 14 Printer 15 OCR module 16 Optical copy machine 20 Report

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-6-28518 (JP, A) JP-A-59-165187 (JP, A) JP-A-6-162256 (JP, A) "ACOS Software ACOS-4 / MVP" XE Japanese Information Processing Manual DKZ71-4 ", NEC Corporation, 4th Edition, 46-47" ACOS Software ACOS-4 / MVP XE Japanese Information Processing Service Program Manual DKA71-6 ", NEC Corporation , 6th edition, 263-268 (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06K 9/00-9/82

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for creating a form used to enter character information or the like for OCR reading, comprising a form size of a form, a model of an object OCR, and a model of an object printer.
A first step of providing a reference sheet file including basic information of a form including information such as a model and a basic size of an input character frame, and a desired form detail form is defined based on the reference sheet file. A second form of inputting information and creating a specific form file, the method for creating a form for OCR. 2. A method for creating a form used to enter character information for OCR reading, etc., comprising a form size of the form, a model of the target OCR, and a model of the target printer.
A first step of providing a plurality of types of reference sheet files comprising basic information of a form including information such as a model, a basic size of an input character frame, and one reference sheet file from the plurality of types of reference sheet files An OCR form including a second step of selecting and a third step of inputting information defining a desired form detailed form based on the selected reference sheet file and creating a specific form file Form creation method. 3. The OCR form creation method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of inputting the basic information on a desired form and creating a desired reference sheet file.